Neela Rajendra, formerly NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer, has been terminated. This comes despite a reported attempt by the agency to shield her from President Trump’s executive order eliminating federal DEI programs by giving her a new title: Head of the “Office of Team Excellence and Employee Success.”
The Washington Free Beacon first reported Rajendra’s dismissal, citing an email from JPL director Laurie Leshin expressing gratitude for Rajendra’s contributions and wishing her well. This action follows a previous report by the same outlet highlighting Rajendra’s survival of a 2024 round of layoffs that impacted nearly 900 DEI-related employees at NASA. The agency officially shut down its diversity department in March following President Trump’s executive order.
The Free Beacon further details how Rajendra’s new role, announced in March, maintained similar responsibilities, including oversight of lab “affinity groups” like the “Black Excellence Strategic Team.” Her LinkedIn profile, at the time, described her new position as focused on “unlocking our potential to Dare Mighty things TOGETHER.” Director Leshin’s email to staff, also obtained by the Free Beacon, indicated that the title change aligned with Rajendra’s “strengths and focus.”
Rajendra’s tenure at NASA included leading efforts to diversify the agency, notably promoting the “Space Workforce 2030” pledge aimed at increasing the representation of women and minorities. Interestingly, the Free Beacon also reported on a 2022 presentation where Rajendra cited “extreme deadlines” as hindering “inclusion” goals. NASA has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.
